Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - Italian society will take to the streets to send a message of solidarity and closeness to Asia Bibi: parliamentarians, the Catholic world, other religious communities and Italian civil society today announced a demonstration to be held in Rome on 26 January, 2011, called “Italy for Asia Bibi: freedom, justice and human rights.” As reported to Fides, the organizers are calling for “freedom, salvation and justice for Asia Bibi; revision or abolition of the blasphemy law in Pakistan; and respect for fundamental human rights.”
Asia Bibi, the 45 year old Christian mother of five children, is the first woman sentenced to death for the crime of blasphemy in Pakistan. Asia will spend her second Christmas in Jail in Sheikhupura (Punjab province), where she has been for a year and a half; a Christmas that, in Pakistan, seems shaken by various events which could exacerbate social polarization and even lead - fear Fides sources - to more violence against religious minorities.
On 24 December, while waiting for the Lahore High Court to begin the appeal process, an alliance across the radical Islamic groups, the “Majlis-e-Tahafuz-e-Namos-e-Risalat” (“Alliance to defend the honour of the Prophet”), will bring thousands of activists together in the streets across Pakistan against the release of Asia Bibi, described as “a blasphemous woman”, and against any proposed amendment to the law on blasphemy. Christian groups have also announced, on the other hand, peaceful marches in solidarity with women and support for the amendment of the controversial law, and prayer vigils for peace, justice, harmony.
In this context, in Italy, “politicians from all parties, the Catholic world and other religious communities, and Italian civil associations mean to express their full solidarity with Asia Bibi and her family, and support those in Pakistan who are making efforts to try to remedy this injustice,” reads a statement sent to Fides.
The organizers say: “the proposed revision of the blasphemy law, already tabled in Parliament at the initiative of Sherry Rehman, the Muslim Parliamentarian in the ruling party and president of the Jinnah Institute, and hence they call for “the success of the work by the Special Commission, requested by President Zardari, who, under the leadership of Minister for Minorities, Shabhaz Bhatti, will prepare a draft of the comprehensive revision of the controversial legislation.”
The event of 26 January, 2011 signifies “to send Asia Bibi and her family a message of solidarity and closeness, reiterating the demand for revocation of the woman's sentence and her immediate release, emphasizing its full support to all the different organizations, Christian and Muslim, which in Pakistan are committed to the abolition or revision of the blasphemy law, to defend human rights, and to reaffirm the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, enshrined in art. 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Pakistan is a signatory, and which calls for an immediate moratorium on all executions in the country.”
Promoters of the initiative, to be held in Rome in Piazza Montecitorio, are: the Association of Parliamentary Friends of Pakistan (with over 100 MPs from all parties); the Association of International Cooperation Italy-Pakistan (Isiamed); the Association of Pakistani Christians in Italy; Amnesty International - Italian Section; the Community of Sant'Egidio; a conference on Religions for Peace, the Humanitarian Padana Onlus; and TV2000, which has already launched a petition “Saving Asia Bibi.” It also announced its willingness to accommodate the wider membership of other bodies and associations, to be submitted to: proasiabibi@gmail.com. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/12/2010)
